Labyrinth Song Fics
by RavenclawKB
Summary: Just a compilation, so I don't clutter my page with thirty plus one-shots. Please check these out, and thank you for 1,000 views!
1. Letter to Readers

Hello readers,

I would like to offer a sincere thank you to those who have remained subscribed to this story even though it has been under revision forever.

The good news is I have finally (sincerely) begun writing again. I have about thirty ideas simmering in my head, and about four that are bursting in my fingertips, hardly waiting to be written. Unfortunately, I have slowly lost interest in song fics. I'll do my best to revise the previously published chapters here, but I cannot guarantee any new ones, I'm sorry about that.

I do have a few other Labyrinth stories in mind though, so if you enjoyed any of these please check out my other stories.

For the time being, I will leave the old chapters of my awkward writing beginnings up for any newcomers who may have an interest, but please be aware that before I post any new content I will revise the previously posted chapters so that they do not sound like the scribblings of a seventh-grader.

Thank you for your attention and patience,

Kat


	2. Tainted Love

_Sometimes I feel I've got to run away I've got to get away from the pain you drive into the heart of me._

A loud ruckus echoed throughout the throne room, standing in worse disarray then it had ever been in before but, of course, Jareth noticed none of this. Anyone who knew him well, which wasn't anyone really, would have noticed that not one of the brawling drunken goblins held an ounce of his attention. The fingers of his left hand idly tapped his left knee and his right leg dangled towards the ground but the most obvious sign was the way his head was tilted to rest on his right hand and, from just behind his gold-spun hair was a pair of dead eyes looking through a window that wasn't there.

His lips opened a crack, and the words pulled themselves out, so quietly even he could just hear them. "Why, Sarah?" His eyes flashed with the words, a flurry of emotions but lingering—the sadness that never left him after she did.

The goblins, oblivious to his detachment, chose this moment to punt a smaller member of their ranks towards Jareth with chicken in tow. The two collided against his chest and in a flurry of feathers Jareth was on his feet and the other two creatures were on the ground. "Enough!" He erupted, throwing his arms up in the air as he bellowed at his obnoxious subjects. He scowled at them with disgust in his eyes before his feet dropped down the few steps in front of his throne and strode exasperatedly to the door at the other side of the room. His gloved fingertips brushed the stone as he paused and shifted back on one foot to warn them, his face slanted slightly towards the promise in his eyes. "Any noise I hear from this room and all of the inhabitants will find their new residence to be at the bottom of the Bog."

A malicious smile curled at the corner of his lips and he exited, the tell-tale scraping of his boots on the stone quickly fading down the corridor. One goblin started to cackle as a squawking chicken managed to struggle out of his grasp but another quickly bashed him on the head, a gnarled finger over its own lips as it hissed, "Ssshh." This warning, of course, gave way to the room filling with a resounding "Ssshh," from various sources but Jareth managed to ignore it, sealing the door to his room tightly behind him and shutting out all sound, which was relatively quiet to what the goblins were usually like anyhow.

For a single blissful moment he leaned pressed against the door, his head tilted back as one of his palms left the polished wood to first rub his forehead before running down his face as he tried to calm his nerves. Even in brief moments like this, where he wasn't haunted by her, he couldn't escape his pain. Because she had changed _everything_. Every little thing seemed different, seemed wrong. He didn't have the energy for mischief. There was no way any other woman could ever satisfy him. Even the goblins could no longer amuse him.

He sighed deeply, no one being around to hear the remorse in it, and pushed himself off of the wall to amble slowly over to the bed, his feet shuffling slightly on the floor. He bent a knee to bring his calf up towards himself, momentarily balancing on his opposite leg as he slid the boot off of his foot and did the same with his other leg before stripping to his undergarments and exhaustedly pulling back the corner of his dark green covers to slide beneath them. His body nearly collapsed into the empty bed and he curled his arm around himself, his body trying to give him the most comfort it could without the help of another.

_The love we share seems to go nowhere and I've lost my light for I toss and turn I can't sleep at night._

Jareth descended the small amount of marble stairs separating himself from the rest of the dancers that filled the cavernous room. An impish grin was visible beneath his macabre mask as he spun beauty after beauty from his arms, his eyes constantly following Sarah as she searched for him. He released yet another courtier and stood among a few men, pretending to listen to their conversation and, as her enormous, doe-like eyes passed him once more with those fat, tempting curls running down her back he couldn't help but let his smile broaden into genuine pleasure with the knowledge that she could be his.

Taking his opportune moment, he left the courtiers, pretending the smile had been for their joke but not bothering with explaining, they weren't truly the important ones at the moment. It took him a few more sticky encounters with other small groups of courtiers that he couldn't seem to escape before he could finally dismiss himself and walk down to her, taking her hands without bothering to ask for a dance, but there was no doubt she wouldn't comply.

His smile was meant only for her now, spreading with the feeling of his fingers curled around hers and her delicate waist in his hand and _oh!_ how he wanted to pull her against him, to kiss her and never let her go but that wasn't right, for now and he could wait. His eyes flashed with passion and he opened his mouth slowly, saying gently, "Sarah, I love you." Plain, simple and out right but through and through honest.

And from her: nothing.

Her face did not change and her eyes were blank. Blank and lifeless in a way that they seemed to become more so every moment more, and nothing was bringing any light back to them. "Sarah, my love, what's wrong?" She said nothing, but her lips parted ever so slightly as if she was planning to and forgot what the words were. "Sarah?" His voice started to quiver, but he wouldn't allow it to do anymore. "My love, my only, what's the matter?" But as they spun, and the other dancers swirled around him, his only answer was her eyes. Not lifeless, he realized,—loveless.

The song came to a close, and Jareth could feel his heart pounding against the skin of his chest from his fear over Sarah as his voice continued in its hushed questioning, growing more rapid with his concern until another dancer approached the pair. He laughed heartily, bowing somewhat before the two before offering his hand to Sarah. The grotesque mask did not alarm Jareth but Sarah's already cold and surreal state and he tried his best to pull her back against him but she shoved him away, her hands grabbing her new partners and she smiled as he swept her away in a much faster, party-style dance.

He paused, his pounding heart either gone or silenced and his chest seemed empty without her warmth in his hands. "Sarah," he said softly, though he knew she would not hear him, and the memory of that smile as she left him started to tear at his already fraying will. As the song progressed, more people began to notice his lovely Sarah, and her simple pleased smile quickly burst to let out her melodic laugh. His ears rejoiced at the sound but he knew it was not for him, not caused from him and nothing could form in him but despair.

His gloved hands began to help him maneuver through the crowd, growing closer to her as he called out for her to hear him. "Sarah! Sarah!" But as yet another partner began to spin with her, that melodic laugh became accompanied by a gleaming sparkle in her eye and as he noticed it something inside of him shattered but he couldn't give up now. "Sarah!" He called after her, and tried his best to push his way through the crowd surrounding the most active members of the party, but he couldn't wriggle a way through enough broad shoulders and high collars to reach her, and the more he tried the more she seemed to be spinning almost effortlessly away from him, her laugh growing all the more frequent and her eyes gleaming with…._affection?_

"SARAH!" He nearly bellowed, pushing his way towards her and again, desperately, "SARAH!" But his voice was lost in the laughing crowd around her as he persisted, needing her attention. "SARAH!" But her head only turned his way as she rocked with laughter and was swept up by a new partner, and he was being pushed further away, crumbling beneath everything and—

Jareth sat up abruptly in the bed, his pale skin glistening with sweat and his chest heaving as he struggled for air. After a moment to collect himself, he swept a hand along his brow and then ran it through his hair, managing to push it from his face for only a short second. He glanced around the room, and brought his knees up to collapse on them, his arms folded with his head resting against them and sighing into the blanket that his knees had brought up before exasperatedly begging, "Sarah, won't you leave me alone?"

_Once I ran to you, now I run from you, this tainted love you've given; I give you all a boy could give you._

He wasn't sure how much time passed while he sat, wishing that some way his one request of her would come true but finally admitted again that the feeling couldn't go away. No matter what he tried—he would never be free. The sun was still far from rising, and he slid down in his bed, pulling the blanket up over his shoulders and curling in on himself slightly once more as he tried to ease himself back to sleep. A small amount of warmth gathered underneath the rich covers but, although his eyes were tightly shut, sleep wouldn't come. He dragged himself up in the bed, rolled himself over, curled up a slight bit again and—sleep could still not come. What did he expect? Certainly not change.

It was clear that he had used all of the sleep he would be allowed for the night, not that he really wanted to return to dreams like those anyhow, and he threw his legs from the bed, the rest of his body following until he was standing beside the bed. The air was slightly chilly, but he shed the last of his undergarments as he shambled around the room, finally reaching his washroom and putting a bath on to help himself wake up and, hopefully, relax his muscles.

And he couldn't get her out of his head. When the water had cooled from his bath, he pulled himself out of the water and toweled his hair first, to ensure it dried properly before drying the rest of himself. He rolled his eyes and groaned quietly while mumbling a few incoherent curses, angry at himself for how utterly pathetic he was that he couldn't even unwind in a soothing bath without thinking of her. Couldn't even get into his clothes before he yearned to be near her again.

His eyes slid to the semi-darkness of the almost-morning outside of his window which meant—he tried to calculate quickly in his head—that it was probably just an hour or so after midnight in her world. Jareth's cunning mind began to formulate the best way to meet her again, to convince her that he was her only option but his continuously swinging mood caused him to build up a fierce resolve and he finally just flew out the open window in his owl form, forgetting any sense of planning and pumping his wings as hard as he could to get to the branch outside of her room.

There was no way she wouldn't listen to him this time.

Somehow he would make her see his feelings.

He paused to rest momentarily on the branch, and it swung crazily in the air as his weight collided with it but calmed quickly for how old and feeble the tree was. However, he only allowed himself seconds of rest for his weary muscles before he fluttered to her window and his beak began to struggle to reach the clasp on the other wide of her window panes, before he scolded himself and magicked it open.

It took him only seconds before he was standing inside the room in all of his regal, imposing, self-loving glory. He strode the few feet to her bed, fully planning on shaking her awake, convincing her of what he felt and forcing her to go back with him. Sure it was selfish, but the way she was wasn't? But…he came close enough to see the innocent look on her face and the gentle way her hand seemed almost to shield her head from anything…nightmares, seemed to come to his mind first, but the almost childlike picture before him was just too sweet to disturb.

His resolve broken, he dropped lightly on the bed, directly next to her, an adoring look in his unguarded eyes. "My precious Sarah," he whispered, and his gloved fingers meticulously pushed the stray locks of hair from where they rested over her face to behind her ears. She mumbled somewhat in her sleep in response, but shifted a bit as well to reveal a patch of skin from along her neck and shoulder, the loose t-shirt that she had on, likely a scrub, much too big on her, and the skin quickly began to prickle with goose pimples from the sudden lack of a blanket.

A small wave of guilt swept over him, and he couldn't understand why a discomfort so little would bother him but he unbuckled the clasp on his cape and drew it away from his shoulders to drape over her sleeping body. Her body seemed to curl up towards the warmth it offered, the hand that had been resting near her face reaching for the fabric and, as her fingertips grazed the cape, her eyes finally blinked open.

She was bleary at first, but she had always been quick to react and so, instead of falling peacefully back asleep she batted away the last bits of tired energy in her and jolted upright. Within seconds she realized what the strange new cover had been…and who was there. "Jareth!" She hissed, ripping her legs out from under the covers to block her chest as she scrambled backwards into her headboard.

"Sarah," he pleaded, his voice low and he reached an arm to grab her wrist, trying to gently pull it down from where she had curled her arms around herself but she only tore it away, sliding off the bed to stand and shuffle a little further away from him.

"Jareth, what do you think you're _doing?_" She hissed again, her shock more at the fact that he would come at such an inopportune time, every disastrous outcome passing through her head of anyone that could walk in and find the two of them. "Do you have any _idea_ what sort of trouble you could get me into?"

He rose from the bed as well, striding around it to reach her on the other side, but not daring to reach for her again. "Sarah," he said, doing his best to keep the condescending, almost sadistic tone to his voice that he usually acquired when trying to hide his weakness from her, but all the same, he couldn't just let all of his guard down. "Listen to me."

She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off, the Goblin King starting to win through on him slightly, as he explained with extraordinary coolness what had really happened during her stay in the labyrinth. "I tried to give you everything—"

"Jareth, please—" she started to beg this time, shutting out what he had tried telling her when she was leaving.

"Every dream that you had—the fierys, the labyrinth, the ball," here he cringed as well as her, his nightmare-Sarah flashing across his eyes to haunt him. "There was—never anything to be afraid of—there was no real danger—and there was nothing I wouldn't have saved you from," here Sarah seemed to fidget where she stood, growing more and more uncomfortable with his words as he continued, but she couldn't bring herself to stop him either.

"All I wanted was you Sarah—all I ever wanted was to give you everything and you—" his voice faltered slightly and he couldn't bring himself to continue anymore.

_Take my tears and that's not nearly all, oh tainted love, tainted love._

Jareth struggled to bring his voice back but wasn't able to, his resolve having melted away, his self-assurance was deteriorating as well. The helpless look radiated out of his eyes and reached out to Sarah who did her best to fight the almost maternal instinct she had to embrace him, to stroke his hair and sooth him as if just saying so would make everything all better.

"Everything." He finally managed. "I could give you everything—all I want is to give you everything if you'll just stay with me—" he paused, the word barely escaping his lips, but it was something that, if anyone, Sarah needed to hear from him. "Please come with me Sarah, _please_. I'll make all of your dreams—" he cut himself off as a sob wrangled itself from Sarah's throat at the appearance of a single tear welling in his right eye from the effort it was to try explaining to her. To try dealing with his too-intense emotions.

Unable to stop herself, Sarah rushed forward, but stopped just short of him, incapable of bringing herself to throw her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her. Her hand reached up tentatively to push the somehow ominous tear away from his eye and Jareth took a hasty half-step backwards but, at the same time, his hand flew up to have his fingers lightly close around her hand, holding it against his face.

_Now I know I've got to run away I've got to get away, you don't really want any more from me._

Sarah pulled her hand away from his face and backed away from him again, the closeness too much for her. "Jareth," she started again, and wouldn't let him stop her this time. "This isn't _right_. You're just…" she couldn't seem to look at him as she desperately searched for an explanation. "Hung up on me. I—I beat you at your own game and I'm _sorry_ but even you could see I needed Toby back—" she left off that explanation, not wanting to hurt him further but picked up on another thread she could use to push him away.

Her words seemed to be almost as hard as Jareth's were to tear from her throat but she pushed herself forward with a somewhat jitterier, but stronger, sense of determination. "There's nothing extraordinary about me, I mean," her hand swept across the front of her scrub and brushed the cotton fabric of her cartoon pajama-bottoms, "just look at me, there's nothing special."

Jareth tried to interrupt, "I beg to differ."

"No!" Sarah snapped, and her hand flew in front of her as if to swat away his hand, but he hadn't moved. She softened, schooling her muscles to loosen and remove some of the stress that was starting to build in her. "I'm ordinary. I'm just another girl." She paused as if it was an excellent revelation to her. "Another girl—that's what you need. Find someone—anyone. I'm sure there are _plenty_ of beautiful women, people who are truly as exceptional as you," her voice almost faltered at the sort of twisted compliment she offered but she persevered, lest he notice her weakness showing as well. "That would be more than glad to be with you."

"Sarah," he stopped her, taking a step forward and she stepped back again, her fingers flaring out behind her to touch the windowsill, but her hands relaxed and fell to her sides as neither of them moved more, merely feet from each other as they had been the first time they met. "I don't want any other girl."

There was a short silence as her head reeled, flashes of her different experiences in the labyrinth racing before her eyes until she found one she could use. "The courtiers—noblewomen—whatever, the women at the ball," he seemed to recognize whom she was speaking of and she continued, trying to explain, her words seeming to run together as she hastened to explain. "Any one of them would be yours—and they were all gorgeous—"

He seemed to be not even listening anymore and for some reason it angered her more than it should have, but as she finally finished her ranting he slid back into full consciousness of the situation. His words had been meant to be…entrancing, something alluring as the previous Goblin King had been but now he couldn't be anything but straightforward with her, the energy to do anything else much too much for him. "I don't want any of them. I want you."

"Ja—no," she couldn't quite bring herself to say his name again and some of her steely determination was starting to diminish as well, which he took to his advantage to beat her down more.

"I tried everything," she brought her hands to her face to shake her head in them, as if trying to block away his words. "Everything—it was all what I thought you wanted. Nothing that—if I had known any of it would hurt you, Sarah, I would have changed it—anything, I—I just tried to give you what you wanted." A strangled sob seemed to escape her throat and his heart tore a little from not being able to comfort her and so he lunged forward, his arms curving around her shoulder blades and pulling her into his chest, and he realized she wasn't crying but still held her tight. "I was wrong."

He paused, his chest heaving as he took in a breath to strengthen himself after saying that and preparing himself to continue. "I was wrong. And I'm sorry. Sarah, give me a second chance."

_To make things right you need someone to hold you tight and you think love is to pray but I'm sorry I don't pray that way._

For a second it seemed as if she wanted to just melt in his arms as well, but she shoved her hands into his chest, ripping herself away from him. "No, Jareth!" Her voice sounded just as pleading as it was commanding while she pushed him away.

"Sarah…" he brought a hand up as if to reach for her but pulled it back to himself, the hand slowly closing as if it had been slapped.

His body shrank back only slightly so that she could come forward again. "I didn't mean it," he said softly, suddenly unable to look at her. He turned his head slightly to the wall, avoiding her face, and realizing for the first time he might not have the courage to bring her back after all.

Meanwhile, Sarah bit her lip, and took a tentative step forward. She couldn't let her guard down around Jareth but—he looked so helpless, just like…just like Toby did sometimes. Only, something about Jareth was different. A fully grown man, a goblin kind, was hopeless because of her. With a gentle sigh, she let her maternal instincts take over, and stepped forward gracefully, lifting her left hand to brush against his cheekbone. He turned his head again, moaning almost inaudibly as he leaned his head into her fingers and she dropped her hands to his wrists, pulling him down to sit across from her on the bed. "Let me talk to you."

His knees bent as he dropped a foot from her on the bed and she pulled her hands away again, sitting cross-legged and pulling them into her lap. At first she went to say, 'Look at me,' but wasn't sure that she could really handle his pathetic eyes and was somehow grateful that he was still looking at the floor, it made this easier for her. "I really am sorry." She paused for him to acknowledge what she said but when he didn't do anything she returned to her monologue.

"It must be hard for you, it's hard enough for me, but I—you have to see, I wouldn't be able to handle being with you." Jareth looked up, mostly in disbelief at his strong Sarah. What was there for her to handle? He would worship her. "You," she paused again, not sure how to explain to him. "I don't think you really understand love."

"I didn't mean—" He tried to cut her off, his own words echoing like a vengeful ghost in his head. _Just fear me, love me, do as I say…_ That had to be what drove her so far away from him.

She shushed him, and pushed on. "I know you didn't mean it. That's not it, Jareth." He shuddered. She had never, not once in the labyrinth, spoken his name and now it sounded almost poisoned, the way she said it while trying to force him out of her life. Her eyes softened, but she continued, "You need a special girl," she hurried her words, to prevent him from being able to interrupt there, "that can care for you. You—you know what you want but you don't know how to get it and you panic and," she managed to look into his eyes, "you're scared. And I can't help you.

"I'm sorry," it hurt even more not to say his name, and finally it was her turn to look away.

"Sarah, please," he pleaded, shuffling closer to her but she shifted back again. "Sarah, I'd do anything, I'd change for you," his fingers trembled over each other as they fought to tear off the gloves on his hands. "Can't you see?"

He wasn't sure, but it sounded like a sob that escaped her throat. However, when she turned to him again, her face was blank and she stood, walking around the bed to her dresser where she began to pull out drawers. "That's just _it_, I can't live that way, I—I'll do my best to make this easy for you," she began to rip out random articles of clothing and throw them on the top of the dresser, not having a bag ready. "I'll move out of here early, tell them I found a college already. Just---just don't look for me. If you don't know where I am," she paused, glancing over her shoulder at him for the briefest second before shoving her stuff into the bag, "then we never have to see each other again."

_Don't touch me please; I cannot stand the way you tease. I love you though you hurt me so, now I'm going to pack my things and go._

"No, no, no," he panicked, his words slurring out as he jumped up and ran over to her, just before she reached the door, and grabbed her wrist.

"Stop!" she nearly shrieked, her voice only as hushed as it would need to be to keep her family asleep while she tore her wrist out of his grip. Her wrist tingled where he had touched her, and she knew it was the first time he had ever touched her without gloves on, and it was making it so much harder for her to drive him away. "Get—out—of—my—way!" She hissed, while he acted as a human barricade between her and the door.

"No," he said firmly, bracing himself for her to throw her weight against him, or try some other way to force him out of her path. "I can—" he had planned to say he would leave, but she cut him off, her voice nearly hysterical as she argued with him further.

"You just don't _get it_, do you?" Sarah dropped the bag and ran her hands through her hair, turning as if to storm around the room, but quickly spinning herself to stand still and face Jareth. "We _can't_ be together, it _won't_ work.

"Do you think I haven't thought of what I said either?" She raised her eyebrows, almost accusingly at him now, and began to pace in the small area where she could still have a full view of him. "Do you think I don't think I threw away my only chance at a happily ever after? At a real fairy-tale life?"

He didn't bother to interrupt as she seemed to assume he would have because she scowled at him before continuing. "I was _afraid_, just like you were! I couldn't handle being that out of control of myself! The idea that you would be anything more than a…fantasy…a crush, I fell in _love_ for god sakes and I never called for _you_ because I didn't want _this _to happen."

She probably would have gone on forever if Jareth hadn't finally cut her off. He stepped forward slowly, his eyes sparking with hope. "You love me?"

"Oh god!" She ran her hands through her hair again and whirled on him. "I don't _want_ to! I don't _want _to feel any of this, I don't _want_ to get wrapped up in the Underground anymore…I just want to be free of all this! I want to control my life, my emotions!" She paused, not speaking any softer, but obviously less angry, and somewhat pleading. "Don't make this harder for me Jareth. I'm leaving."

He stepped carefully forward again, and asked again, very softly, as if not able to believe it yet. "You love me?"

Shaking her head, she took a step back, away from his optimistic eyes. "You don't understand."

_Tainted love, tainted love; tainted love, tainted love. Touch me baby, tainted love; touch me baby, tainted love._

But it didn't matter if he did or not because he knew he had a chance now.

Rushing forward, he threw his arms around her in a hug, and her hands flew up to his chest to push him away again but his lips crashed down on hers and all she could do was melt into his arms.

"Jareth," she fought to murmur against his lips, a part of her still defiant, but her hands no longer fighting him but only crushed between her chest and his.

He drew back from her lips, not releasing his hold on her waist. "No romance is perfect," he muttered, stopping the next protest she was about to raise as he began to trail soft kisses down her neck.

"But—" she stopped herself that time as Jareth's face came back to hers and those gorgeous, mismatched eyes peered at her from such a close distance. Jareth didn't let an inch of space grow between them, pulling her closer to him as she slid her hands out from between their chests and curling them into his hair as she kissed him again.

Sarah stumbled backwards, not pulling away from him but pulling him with her and he pressed her gently into the bed, their lips never parting. Jareth tore his lips away, breathing heavily to whisper huskily, "I'll always love you." Then her arms were around him and drawing him closer and his lips were pressing against her again.

_Tainted Love_

_Tainted Love_

_Tainted Love_


	3. Sweet Child o' Mine

_She's got a smile that it seems to me reminds me of childhood memories, where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky. Now and then when I see her face she takes me away to that special place and if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry. Oh, sweet child o' mine, oh, sweet love of mine._

It was her perfect smile that enchanted me from the start. Play-acting in the park with only her dog for company. I smile myself when I think of her simple beauty, her dark hair tied up to reveal her blue eyes gleaming with excitement from her adventures. Her every day was spent dreaming of something marvelous.

After so much monotony, such a regular tedious life, I couldn't resist so fascinating a creature, so passionate. It wasn't long before my days were consumed with dreams of her. I wanted her to have someone who was willing to stay there with her each day, and play the opposite part. I wanted all of her toys to be real jewels and knights. When her eyes gained that sparkle to show she was entirely in another world, I wanted to go there with her.

_She's got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain. I'd hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain. Her hair reminds me of a warm, safe place where as a child I'd hide and pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by._

Everything about her was so beautiful, it entranced me and I would watch with the secret desire to step in as she danced with imaginary princes.

Then finally I couldn't take it any longer. Of all the dream suitors she had, the adventures she craved, she called for me, and she accepted _my_ challenge. I hated to put her through the labyrinth, to dangle the fate of her brother over her head but its part of the powers. She wished for me to take him and I must do it to retain my kingdom.

I hadn't thought so badly of it. I could be the one to give her the adventure she craved, though of course she would not make it through. But that was the wonder of it. She would have a taste of adventure, unaware I had kept her safe the entire time and when she failed, I would be her prince to rescue her as well. I would allow her brother to return home regardless and she would stay with me.

But then she was doing so well and I was scared. So I made it a little harder for her. She would be certain to fail and then she would be mine. I would give her everything she ever wanted, the hard times would be forgotten.

_Oh, sweet child o' mine, oh, sweet love of mine, oh sweet child o' mine. Oh, sweet love of mine. Where do we go, where do we go now? Where do we go, where do we go, where do we go now?_

But she was still able to make it through. How could she possibly have gotten through? Always, she had always gone into frustrated fits under pressure. How could she have _possibly_ made it through this?

I barked out orders rapidly, grabbing the babe to run in a panic from the throne room. Minutes, I only needed a few more minutes for my plan to work. How could she have gotten through so quickly?

Carefully I set the babe down, there was no way for him to injure himself in the Escher room, and ran off myself. Surely she couldn't reach him in time? Minutes, only minutes…

As I thought, she was baffled at first but was running after Toby in seconds. Of course, by now she trusted nothing to be as it seemed. I needed to distract her and I lost my control, I started to tell her everything.

But it was as if she didn't care! Not even acknowledging my words, she pursued the child. My eyes widened as she gave up the ridiculous chase I had counted on and jumped off the stairs, floating down to Toby.

And in that second, where I saw all my plans shattering, I couldn't give up. I didn't need to be her hero, only a prince. She could save me.

_Please,_ echoed around my head as my lips began to move of their own accord. I was begging, that much I knew, but I couldn't stop and the words would haunt me later. Finally I promised her, "I will be your slave." Anything to keep her from leaving me.

And then her words killed me. They weren't even merciful enough to kill me…that would promise no more pain. The destroyed me. I broke apart, the knowledge of her rejection spreading to every nerve ending I had. Surely pieces of me were falling everywhere. I would never be whole again.

* * *

I knew it couldn't really have happened. It was a terrible, terrible nightmare. Before I could fully comprehend the thought, I was in front of her window. And the proof was before me. All my subjects with her, the _friends_ she had made in my labyrinth.

My heart sank into my stomach and I wished the rest of my body could do the same, to melt into nothing. Unable to watch, I tore myself away, stumbling into the black night.

_Where do we go, where do we go now? Where do we go, where do we go now? Where do we go, where do we go now? Sweet child, sweet child o' mine._


	4. A Whole New World

A Whole New World by Alan Menken and Tim Rice

_I can show you the world; shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?_

Jareth sat outside Sarah's window, perched on the branch that conveniently stretched across her room. Why was she doing this to herself? He clicked his beak angrily, at what, he didn't know. Her? Himself? There was no one reason.

But he just couldn't understand it. Running the labyrinth, knowing it was real, should have only made her dream all the more. Instead it seemed as if she was broken. Early in the evening, the sky was a purple wonder, a perfect fusion of shades that gave it an otherworldly appearance. It was magical. And Sarah? She was in her bedroom…studying.

Although he knew he would still hate it, he would have even preferred to see her with another man. At least she would be living with some sort of excitement in her life, getting as close as most grown humans did to adventure.

Unable to take it, he flew forward, tapping his beak loudly on the windowpane. The last Sarah would have jumped, scared at first but quickly recovering as a sense of exploration filled her curious face. But this Sarah tried to ignore it, finally throwing her pen down to look at the source of the pestering noise.

And then he got a reaction from her. She was sliding her chair back to turn out of the seat when she saw him, what looked to be a shriek escaping her lips turned into only a frightened gasp as her fingers flew to, but fell away from her mouth. They did not fall all of the way to her side, but only to her breast, where her fingertips felt her heart beat beneath the skin.

Then she scowled, both at the still-flying owl and here own foolishness. Still, she didn't step forward but only lifted her hand, shooing the animal away.

And it stopped. And stared at her.

"Go!" An uneasy feeling crept up her spine. She glanced quickly over her shoulder to ensure her door was closed, that no one would fine her talking to an owl. She crept forward, her back hunched slightly as to touch the window while keeping her body as far from it as possible. "I'm not letting you in," she hissed, snapping the back shut to jump back, but still not backing away.

His laughter echoed without a body, amused with only the slightest trace of sadism as the lock on the window slid open. Sarah's jaw dropped and then, her wits coming back, she turned towards the door. She could hear the window sliding open as she neared the door, and when the laughter stopped a shadow fell across the room. Her hand touched the doorknob when his voice sent a chill down her spine. "Sarah, Sarah."

Gently, she drew her fingers away, her heart skipping a beat. _Why now?_

Her voice caught in her throat, and she tried again, swallowing and licking her lips before managing it. "What do you want?"

Jareth reached his hand out to her shoulder, and she jumped from the contact, squirming away into the room. "What have you done to yourself Sarah?"

She turned to scowl at him again. "What I did to myself? I've done nothing. I'm who I want to be."

He sneered at her, but spoke before she could protest. "Who you want to be? Not the Sarah I know. You would be awfully boring to the Sarah I know."

Her jaw dropped. "Boring?" she hissed. "You're calling _me_ boring?"

He cut her off before she could go into a defensive ramble, turning her to face the window. "Would you dare it?" He whispered as she crept forward without thought, stopping just short of the window that now portrayed the labyrinth.

"I—no." She paused again, gathering the determination she needed not to be captivated by its wonder. "I'm not going to take so stupid a risk." She turned herself away from the temptation of the window to find herself facing Jareth's throat, his face turned town towards her.

"So you think it's a risk?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "I remember when you would only see that as part of the adventure." Adventure. The word seemed to echo through her mind.

"Maybe I'm not that girl anymore," she finally managed, turning her head down from his face. Sidestepping, she escaped from where she was trapped between him and the labyrinth, clutching her arms to keep away the feelings that were trying to change her mind.

_I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder, over sideways and under on a magic carpet ride. A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view. No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming._

"Maybe I thin you are." He breathed, and only a muffled shriek escaped her lips before his hand covered her mouth, just after his other arm had wrapped around her waist and he pulled her through to where they had stood the last time, on the outside of the labyrinth. Smirking, he let her go and she shrieked again, gaining only a small satisfaction from the noise when she saw only an endless wasteland lay where her home should be.

"Damn it!" she shrieked, stomping and clenching her fists as she shook them at her side in a tantrum.

"How could you do this?" She snapped, waving her finger in his face.

One of Jareth's eyebrows raised, a smirk of amusement on his face at her defense. "My Sarah, you have changed." The only sound was the slap of her hand on his face, and Jareth very slowly turned his face back to her as she started to break down.

"That's what humans _do,_ they _change_. People have to or else they're freaks, and people avoid them!" Tears started to push forth from behind her eyes, which were beginning to swell red from the fierceness of her emotions but she didn't care. "People have to move on from stupid stories, and live in the real world,"

"And stop dreaming?" he interrupted. Her hand flew again, for the second time he hit her so close to her heart, but he caught her wrist. Stepping closer, he stopped only when their chests were almost touching. Jareth started to push her again, the words almost out of his mouth, but she seemed to collapse into herself before he could.

"I had to!" She screamed, ripping her wrist away from him and staggering backwards. "You don't know how hard it is to keep something like that a secret, and I had no one to talk to about it! Not even my friends here could come to see me any longer, I couldn't take it anymore!"

She paused, taking a breath. Her next few words came out a bit calmer than before, but that wasn't saying much. "I had to. I _wanted_ to still believe everything but I couldn't, it's just…" she stomped her foot, infuriated that no matter what she might have said before, this time it was absolutely true. "Not fair!" She fell down, all of her resolve that had built up so long turning against her as she sat on the ground with her arms pulling her knees to her chest, quietly weeping.

A softness came over Jareth and her sobs grew quiet as his shadow passed over her, his voice whispering to her. "It doesn't have to be that way."

She sniffled, pulling her sleeve across her eyes to dry away the damp tears. "What?" was all she could croak, disbelief through her voice. Wasn't he the one who had taught her not to rely on anything anyhow?

He knelt down next to her, a feeling of guilt in his stomach. "I never meant to have this happen, Sarah." His hand reached forward and a carpet flowed forward, a beautiful hand-woven rug with intricate designs around the borders. "Let me give you the beauty of it back."

_A whole new world, a dazzling place I never knew, but when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you. Now I'm in a whole new world with you._

Jareth was standing again, the carpet on the ground still as Sarah stared at it. It was _so_ tempting… her still-sad eyes looked to the seriousness of his face, the almost plea to let him make it all better, and she licked her lips once, crawling forward. She heard him move, sitting behind her and instantly the carpet rose into the air, a gentle rippling going beneath her as it rode on the wind.

It raced off, quickly covering ground over the twisting labyrinth and despite herself Sarah could again see what had entranced her about it as a girl, reading the story over and over, keeping a model in her room. It was frightening, to say the least, but it seemed to hold a promise, an urge to keep you racing through its walls.

As they began to pass over the forest, the carpet slowed, hovering low enough over the trees that Sarah could have bent down and picked a flower, if she so chose. She could feel Jareth's breath on her neck as he leaned forward over her, both of them looking over the edge. "There's more than just fireys in there," he promised, and a shiver raced down her back, but she couldn't deny it any longer. She was enchanted once more, the fascination overcoming all of her former attempts to keep this majestic world at bay.

The carpet flew lower and lower to the ground as the trees began to clear, parting to reveal a large pond hidden beneath them. The water was different from the crystal-blue that clean water is in her world, instead a thick, gleaming silver and she couldn't make out the quick movements beneath its surface. However, she wasn't concerned with them for long as she noticed her own reflection, drastically changed from the last time she had seen herself.

Her jaw dropped, a quiet gasp emitting from her lips as she studied her reflection, Jareth's face appearing on the surface as well as he looked over the side of the carpet, watching her reaction. "My clothes…" she stammered, trying to comprehend what had happened. Yes, she had seen herself in this dress before, but she was almost sure she had been _dreaming_. Jareth had caused the dress to wind itself over her, instantly banishing her former clothes, and pull her black hair back in delicate decorations. Glancing at her skirt she saw that indeed it covered her whole body already, the pile of fabric that created the thick skirt pouring a little over the edge of the carpet.

"You don't like it?" He asked, and she looked down at herself again.

"No…just…why?"

He nodded towards the castle as they approached, and she noticed how much nearer it seemed now that she had been distracted over the reflection pool. Though stone walls were hard to see through, enough windows were pouring out light, a good amount of music accompanying it. "A ball?" She whispered, her voice awed, and she turned her head around to face him over her shoulder.

Again he nodded, a small smile on his face at her excitement. She was becoming Sarah again.

_Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling, soaring, tumbling, freewheeling, through an endless diamond sky._

They came to a wide window, his view from a king's chamber that sat conveniently above the ballroom, its sole purpose for him to be able to prepare and enter with the proper attention his crown commanded.

Sliding down the carpet, he landed neatly on his feet while Sarah was still perched on the carpet, her dress spilling across it. Reaching a hand out, he looked into her eyes. "Join me?"

Her eyes stared at the outstretched hand, as if trying to decipher anything else it could mean, but the urge to attend was much to difficult for her to resist. "Gladly," she returned, a smile decorating her face as she slid her hand onto the soft fabric of the glove.

The hallway at first looked rather thin, clearly only meant to let Jareth walk through at a time, but as they walked through Sarah saw the walls themselves moving to let her through, widening as she passed with him and coming together again after they were gone. She wasn't able to spend that much time pondering over it however, because the staircase ended at a ledge for the room to see them, and see them every person did. Almost as soon as she had set foot on the ledge, every eye in the room turned towards the two, respectfully bowing or curtsying towards Jareth. A moment passed where they expected him to make an announcement, and he turned his eyes towards Sarah's face before looking back over them to speak.

"My friends," he greeted, "I thank you for joining me in the festivities this evening." A half-bow closed his speech, "Enjoy yourselves as best you can."

Sarah, uncomfortable vaguely with being singled out alone with him, couldn't spend more than a minute worrying because she was so wrapped up in one of every girl's fantasies coming true—to really be seen as a princess, everyone looking only at you. He led her down the staircase, sweeping her out onto the dance floor to become one more couple in the swirling colored dresses.

Spinning in circles, the other guests passed by quickly but she could hear snatches of conversation, hushed words between them. "That girl…" "The king…" "Who…" "Are they…" "Does he…" "Is she…" She shifted like it was a shirt that wasn't on properly, but couldn't fix the feeling that easily. She found she couldn't look into his face anymore, when they were so close, him guiding her every step.

To distract herself, her eyes crept over every detail of the room. It was as she remembered it, only without that lost feeling. She was safe now, too. The ceiling was enormously high, and the walls like mirrors. Everything sparkled from the brilliance. The very guests were magnificent, moving gracefully around, and her eyes flickered quickly over each dress, though there was no question that hers was significantly lovelier than any of theirs.

It was like it was too fantastic.

"I need some air," she managed, when she was near enough to a short stairway, that clearly opened to the marvelous night. Pulling herself away, she hurried up the steps, or at least as best she could when the dress was in her way, and onto the balcony. Inhaling, she leaned on her arms, her fingers curling over the rough stone as she watched the twinkling stars. Nothing could match the night sky, away from mortal cities.

_A whole new world, don't you dare close your eyes. A hundred thousand things to see. Hold your breath, it gets better. I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be._

"Something wrong?" A voice behind her said, causing her to jump.

Turning, she saw Jareth coming forward from the somewhat-faded din of the party, and she sat back on the ledge, looking over to the forest below. "No," she said softly, her eyes taking in all they could before they were, inevitably, returned home.

"Then what bothers you?" He asked, closer now, so close that she almost knocked into him when she turned again.

A mumbled 'sorry' came out of her lips and she stood, trying to slip to the side. "I don't know what to think of…" Her voice trailed off, but he could finish for her.

"All of this?" A pause. "Me?"

She took a breath, cautious to continue. Everything was moving so fast suddenly. "Jareth, I—"

"What was that?" He asked, his hand catching hers to pin back gently against the ledge. Her words seemed to catch in her throat and, though it wasn't much to most, he recognized the comfort level she had reached to go from speaking of him in third person to his first name. "I think that you've most definitely made progress, Sarah," he pressed, "and I'm not going to let you give up on either of us now."

She might have tried to escape, but his hand was holding hers still, and he brought his other hand to capture her other as his lips caught hold of hers. At first her eyes widened, panicked, but she knew there would have been no escaping it no matter how hard she tried. She was coming ever closer to him just as she was again with what had formerly fascinated her in the labyrinth. Everything was suddenly worth it.

"I can't," she finally murmured, his lips leaving hers, and she tilted her head down to stay free from him.

"Sarah," he whispered, dispirited.

"It's not you," she answered quickly, instinctively trying to take away some of the pain in his eyes but angry at herself for doing so. She wasn't ready for something with Jareth. "I really can't Jareth. I can't go back to living a normal life and forgetting this _again_. I can't stay here and leave my family."

She tried to walk away, but he caught her arm, stepping close enough to her to look down into her face. "I told you I'm not going to let you give up," he reminded her. "I promise you that I'll make living in two worlds work out."

It was like she was mesmerized, the promise in his eyes. He was absolutely right. She couldn't live that life anymore, and he was offering her something so much better.

His hands moved from her elbows for him to face the balcony edge. "Let's get away from here," he offered, "and you can say anything you want."

_A whole new world. Every turn a surprise, with new horizons to pursue, every moment red-letter._

The carpet was stretched before her again, and Jareth helped her step up without slipping. Instead of zooming off this time, the carpet seemed to lazily drift along the wind currents. It was undeniable, Sarah couldn't resist the beauty there. And as much as she felt frightened by it as well, Sarah couldn't repel Jareth.

Colors were different in the Underground, as evidenced by the spectacular sunrise that was beginning to tint the horizon and Sarah could hear Jareth's mouth opening, him sounding remorseful about whatever she'd want to protest. But she figured there was no denying it. He had shown how sweet and patient he could be by offering to help her live between two worlds, she couldn't very much resist him in the least.

Leaning backwards, she cut off his speech by resting on his chest, her hands pulling his arms to wrap around her body with his fingers curled over hers. "Let's just enjoy this," she murmured. It might be much to take in, but it certainly wasn't something she was going to risk losing twice.

_I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare, let me share this whole new world with you. A whole new world, that's where we'll be. A thrilling chase, a wondrous place, for you and me._


End file.
